


Parabatai

by ithilien22



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Hurt Alec, M/M, POV Jace Wayland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 13:25:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7686199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ithilien22/pseuds/ithilien22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus heals Alec after a bad fight. Jace helps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Parabatai

**Author's Note:**

> This scenario is so overdone, I know, but hopefully this story still has something of it's own to add.

It all happens in a flash; one minute they're slaughtering the demons, fighting as a unit at each other's backs, then the next moment suddenly a half a dozen more are pouring in from the rear of the warehouse and Izzy and Alec are breaking away from him in opposite directions, while Clary stands frozen, her eyes widening. When one of the new arrivals advances on Clary, Jace jumps in to protect her, losing focus and failing to protect his own back. He's not even aware of the shax demon coming up behind him until he hears Alec's grunt of pain and spins around to see the demon disappearing in a cloud of ash, leaving behind Alec's body on the floor, a huge angry gash bitten into his side.

Seeing Alec injured seems to spur Clary back into action, and together she, Jace and Izzy manage to take out the last of the demons. But almost before the ash even clears, they're all on the floor at Alec's side, trying to gauge how badly he's hurt. Izzy immediately begins applying _iratzes_ , but Jace knows it won't be enough. He can feel it through their parabatai bond, a muted version of the excruciating pain slamming into Alec's body courtesy of the poison seeping into his veins.

"We need Magnus," Clary says, voice frantic. She's already pulling out her cell phone and Jace doesn't move to stop her.

He tunes out their conversation though, too focused on Alec. He reaches forward and grasps Alec's hand, allowing him to squeeze tightly enough to bruise as Izzy continues to draw _iratzes_ and whisper encouragements.

It seems to take forever for the portal to shimmer into existence in front of them, though somewhere in the back of Jace's mind he knows it's been only moments. He glances at Izzy and she nods, finishing a last _iratze_ before moving back and allowing him to lift Alec into his arms and carry him through the portal into Magnus's loft, Izzy and Clary close behind.

Magnus is an odd combination of frazzled and collected when they arrive, calmly directing Jace to lay Alec on the couch even as his eyes betray his concern as he takes in the full extent of Alec's injuries.

"Alexander, darling?" Magnus murmurs softly, leaning down to gently cup Alec's cheek as Jace moves back. Alec doesn't reply except to lean into Magnus's touch slightly, his eyes closed and his face still twisted in pain.

"We don't have time for this," Jace snaps, scared and impatient.

"Jace-" Clary tries, but Magnus waves her off without looking away from Alec.

"Biscuit, there's a potion started in the kitchen that I need you to finish," he says, and Jace is shocked to realize there's a blue spark of magic already dancing across Alec's prone form, pooling into the shax bite. He didn't realize Magnus had started yet, and he feels a twinge of shame at his outburst.

Beside him, Clary nods, already moving towards the kitchen.

"Do I need to-"

"It needs to simmer for another few minutes before you add the final ingredients. I've left instructions on the counter."

With her directions clear, Clary disappears into the kitchen. Jace almost moves to follow her, envious that she has a task to do, something to help. He's never felt so helpless.

The blue glow around Alec seems to brighten and then fade slightly, and Magnus slumps a bit, falling to his knees beside the couch. The unexpected movement startles Jace and he quickly drops down next to Magnus, suddenly remembering how exhausted Magnus had been as he healed Luke. He also remembers how Alec had helped.

"Here," he says, offering his hand to Magnus.

Magnus glances at the offered hand, looking away from Alec for the first time since they entered the loft. His expression is guarded.

"Come on, please," Jace pleads, not caring how strained his voice sounds. "Let me help him."

Magnus's expression softens just slightly and he grasps Jace's hand in his free one, the other still resting against Alec's cheek.

Jace instantly feels like he's been hit by a ton of bricks, and he reflexively tightens his hold on Magnus's hand. He can literally feel Magnus pulling the energy out of him, as if tugging on an invisible string. It's an odd and extremely unpleasant feeling, but Jace ignores it in favor of the relief he feels. He's finally _doing_ something.

He's not sure how long they stay like that, crouched down along the couch, but eventually (and yet, suddenly) Clary is beside him again, holding a potion out to Magnus.

"Give it... to Alec," Magnus manages to say, not moving from his current position.

Izzy tilts Alec's head back - _had she been there the whole time, or just gotten up when Clary came back?_ \- and Clary carefully feeds Alec the liquid in small amounts until it's all gone. Jace doesn't need to see the muscles in Alec's body begin to relax to know that it's working, he can feel it in his own body. Magnus sighs in clear relief and finally lets go of Jace's hand, letting himself collapse onto Alec's chest.

"He's going to be okay," Izzy says happily, the relief evident in her voice. "He's going to be okay."

Jace sits back on his heels but doesn't move to stand. He's not sure if he actually can at the moment, so it feels better not to risk it. Instead he just sits and breathes, watching as the lingering blue of Magnus's magic fades out around Alec.

Alec groans a bit as he shifts against the couch, before finally blinking open his eyes and scanning the room in apparent confusion. He catches Jace's eye for a moment, but he eventually lands on Magnus, still curled against his chest.

"You used too much magic," he says, voice gravelly and brows furrowed in concern. Jace almost laughs out loud at the sheer absurdity of that statement. How completely _Alec_.

Magnus lifts his head at Alec's words and fixes him with a glare that Jace finds himself remarkably glad is not directed at him.

"You almost died," Magnus bites out, before appearing to forcibly calm himself. His voice is completely different, almost flippant, when he adds, "I hope it was worth it, because your bill is going to be astronomical."

He forces himself to his feet even though Jace knows he doesn't have the energy, and marches away from them, off into some other part of the apartment. Against his better judgement, Jace gets to his feet as well with a half formed plan to follow him, worried he'll find Magnus collapsed in the hallway. He knows the warlock is running on fumes. Less than that, even.

"I- I didn't," Alec tries to call after him, but Jace stops him with a hand up.

"I'll get him," he assures Alec, giving his parabatai a weary smile, "I'll make sure he rests."

Alec nods, his own eyes already closing despite his clear efforts to keep them open. Izzy has moved to sit on the couch with him, at his feet, and Clary has dropped into a nearby chair. It's not just Magnus and Alec; now that the adrenaline from the fight has faded, they're all exhausted.

Sure enough, Jace finds Magnus slumped in the hallway, just outside of the bedroom. With a sigh, he leans down and uses the very last of his strength - despite Magnus's feeble protests - to lift up the warlock and carry him the rest of the way inside the room, lying him gently on the bed.

Once that's done, Jace sways ominously on his feet. He tries to head back to the den, but doesn't make it more than a few steps before collapsing into a armchair in the corner of the room. _Oh well_ , he thinks as the darkness closes in, _good a place to sleep as any._

\---

Jace wakes all at once, hours later, but doesn't immediately know what's woken him. It's still dark in the room, though the heavy curtains draped across the windows on the far wall could be blocking out the midday sun, for all he knows. It's apparently been long enough that at least one person is up though, as someone seems to have draped a warm throw blanket over Jace as he slept.

That person turns out to be Alec - _of course_ , Jace can't help but think. When Jace's eyes finally adjust to the dim light, he can just make out his parabatai perched on the edge of Magnus's bed, running his fingers through the warlock's hair and speaking to him in low tones. Their voices must have been what woke him.

"I'm sorry," Alec is saying - repeating, Jace thinks - his voice thick. "Jace and Clary were in trouble, Magnus. The demons came out of nowhere."

"I know," Magnus tells him, his own voice still tinged with exhaustion. "I don't actually think you nearly killed yourself just to worry me. There's always some stupidly noble reason or other."

"You still shouldn't have used so much magic," Alec says cautiously but with an edge of defiance, like he knows he's asking for a fight but just can't help himself. Jace has to stop himself from snorting out loud.

Even though he can't really make out Magnus's features across the dark room, Jace could swear he _hears_ him roll his eyes.

"You would have preferred I let you die?" Magnus asks dryly.

"I-" Alec cuts himself off and Jace frowns. He doubts that was meant to be a hard question.

"Alexander?" Magnus prompts after a moment, his voice sounding much more gentle and underlined with concern.

"I know you wouldn't want- I. I just," Alec falters again and takes a breath. "If it came down to my life or yours, Magnus, I- you. I know what can happen if you use too much of your magic."

Jace inhales sharply, but neither Magnus or Alec seems to hear him. Magnus reaches up and grasps at the back of Alec's neck, tugging him down slightly.

"You stupid, beautiful nephilim," he whispers, before pulling Alec into a kiss.

Jace closes his eyes quickly, realizing all at once that he's been eavesdropping on a very private conversation. In his defense, the blanket is clearly an indication that Alec knows Jace is in the room, albeit assumed to be asleep.

_Maybe he should cough or something?_

He can't bring himself to interrupt them though. He remembers the anger in Magnus's eyes earlier, and the hurt in Alec's when Magnus had stormed off. He knows they need this moment together, before the others wake up.

Jace doesn't fully understand it, if he's being really honest. He always knew Alec was- He's always known about Alec. But it was really more of an abstract concept before Magnus came into their lives. He mostly thought about it in the context of how unhappy Alec was, and how much he gave up for them, time and time again, without even thinking. He never really thought about Alec having a... a _boyfriend_ someday.

Not that it's a bad thing, exactly. Jace knows Alec would never have been happy being married to Lydia. But it's like, now there's a part of Alec that Jace isn't allowed to have. It feels stupid to say that he's _jealous_ of Magnus, but well. It might be something embarrassingly close to that.

Jace can feel Alec's heartbeat through the parabatai bond, as always, but he realizes there's another sensation as well, now that the pain from earlier has begun to fade. It's hard to put a name to it exactly, but it's like a warmth hovering just below his skin, gentle and soothing.

 _Happiness_ , he realizes eventually.

He tentatively opens his eyes to find that Alec has crawled into bed beside Magnus, and they appear to have drifted off, arms wrapped around one another. They both look infinitely more relaxed in the stillness of sleep, the frowns and worry lines smoothed from their features. Jace finds himself smiling at the picture they make.

Magnus isn't someone that Jace would have chosen for Alec, but he can't deny the positive impact he's had on Alec's life - on all their lives, really. He's starting to realize that despite his best intentions (that is, his unfortunately ingrained prejudices), he really does like Magnus. He sees how he and Alec fit together, how they compliment each other. Their relationship just _works_.

Jace subconsciously rubs at the parabatai rune on his side as his eyelids start to droop again. _More than a brother, less than a lover,_ that's what the old stories used to say. Alec has always been more than Jace's brother - he's his soulmate, his best friend. But they can't be everything to each other, he knows that, and that's the way it should be. Things are changing, their world is opening up, but that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing.

Jace blinks up a few more times at Alec's sleeping form before his own eyes finally flutter closed. The last thought he has before he slips back into unconsciousness is of the simple, undeniable fact that's still thrumming beneath his skin:

Alec is happy.

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoyed this story at all, please come bug me on [tumblr](https://ithilien-writes.tumblr.com/) ~


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